Vehicle headlight lamp



Nov. 5, 1935,. E. ASTOR VEHICLE HEADLIGHT LAMP Filed April 21, 1952 located directly ahead of filament I2.

Patented Nov. "5. 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE VEHICLE HEADLIGHT Ernest Astor, Paris, France, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York- Application April 21, 1932, Serial No. 606,633

In France May 4, 1931 4 Claims. (01. 176-34) low flat toppedbeam for use when approaching an oncoming vehicle isby providing a cup below a filament located ahead of the-focal point of the reflector. A second filamentloeated at said focal point provides the driving beam'. In practice, such lamps produce a certain amount of glare due to secondary light reflections which strike the leading-in wires and the stem press and are diffused thereby. The said secondary light reflections come from the bulb of the lamp or from the lens of the headlight unit, particularly a fluted or striated lens. According to my invention this glare is eliminated by the use of screens or refiectors so disposed as to intercept the secondary light reflections before they strike the leading-in wires or the stem press.

Other features and advantages of my invention will appear from the following description of species thereof and from the drawing.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a lamp comprising my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a lamp located in 'a reflector; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic side view of the lamp; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a lamp and reflector showing various reflected rays; and Figs. 5 and 6 are detailed perspective viewsv of modifications of one of the reflecting screens.

Referring to Fig. 1, the lamp comprises a-base ID and bulb II and filaments I2 and I3 in said bulb.

disposed on the axis thereof, filament I3 being I Said filament I2, preferably V-shaped, is mounted on lead wires I4, I5 which are sealed in a stem press I6.

Filament I3, disposed along theaxis of the bulb I I, is mounted at one end on a'lead wire H which mounted directly below said filament I3 on the lead wire l5. As shown in Fig. 2, the filament I2 is so located as to lie at the focalpoint III of a reflector 20. The cup I8 serves to limit the projection of light from the filament I3 to the upper part of the reflector 20 from which it is directed below the horizontal as shown by a ray 2| in that it intersects the axis .of the reflector and bulb atb. f If there is no obstruction to the beam at b, it will continue on to therefiector 29, strik-.

' part'of the reflector.

ing said reflector at c and being depressed below the horizontal toward d. However, if the ray should strike some obstacle at b, such as a stem press or lead wires, a portion ofit would be diverted up to the reflector 20 at c, then outward '5 above the horizontal toward 'f. Beams such as b, e, f would produce glaring spots in the upper An observer whose eye is in the vertical plane passing through the axis of the reflector and 10 axis will see the bright spots, caused by images of the stem press and lead wires, on the vertical axis and above the horizontal axis. As the observer moves his eye laterally the images appear 15 to swing down toward thehorizontal plane. Acv cording to my invention these images are eliminated by two screens 23 comprising metal strips adjacent to the stem press I6 and lead wires I5, I! and extending beyond said stem press. Said 20 "screens or shields 23 may be mounted on the lead wires I5, I! along opposite sides'of said stem press I6 and are preferably wide enough to extend above and below the stem press and lead wires.

On the other hand, an observer whose eye is in 25 the horizontal plane through the axis of-the refiector will see no image of the stem press or lead press I6 and above the axis. of the bulb and refiector. Said shield 24 may be mounted on the lead wires l5, II, or it may be made integral with the shields 23 from a piece of suitably formed metal. As shown in Fig.3, the shield 24 is prefer- 4o ably. inclinedforward and intercepts the seco-ndary rays which are reflected back from the bulb II and directs them back toward the reflector. The back of said shield 24 being unlighted will not give rise to brilliant spots in the reflector. InFigs. 5 and 6 are shown modifications of the shield 24 comprising a rectangular sheet 25 in Fig. 5 and a sheet 26 in Fig. 6 curved into an arc. 1

9 What I claim as new and desire to secure by 50 Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a lamp for vehicldheadlamps, the com-" bination of a bulb, a stem sealed therein having lead wires embedded in the press thereof, a filament supported .by said stem and a pair of shields l6 ment supported by said stem, a pair of shields mounted adjacent to and on opposite sides of said stem press, and a shield mounted just beyond the forward edge of said stem press and above the longitudinal axis of said lamp, said shield being inclined forward at an angle to said longitudinal axis of said lamp.

3. In a lamp for vehicle headlamps, the combination of a bulb, a stem sealed therein having lead wires embedded in the press thereof, a pair of filaments disposed substantially on the longitudinal axis of the lamp one ahead of the other, with a concave light reflector disposed under the forward filament, a pair of shields mounted adjacent to and on opposite sides of said stem press, and a shield mounted just beyond the forward edge of said stem press and above the longitudinal axis of said lamp, said shield being inclined forward at an angle to said longitudinal axis of said lamp.- v

4. In a lamp for vehicle headlamps, the combination of a substantially spherical bulb,'a stem sealed to the rear wall of said bulb and having lead wires embedded in the press thereof, a filament'in said bulb electrically connected to said 'lead wires and located between the center and the forward end of said bulb, said stem and filament being located substantially in the longitudinal axis of said lamp, a concave light reflector disposed below said filament and adapted to reflect light therefrom upwardly, and a forwardly inclined shield mounted adjacent the forward edge of said stem press above the longitudinal axis of the lamp.

ERNEST ASTOR. 20 

